This invention relates generally to solenoid operated, liquid dispensing valves and, more particularly, pertains to improvements in the assembly and mounting of such valves.
Solenoid valves are commonly used to control the flow of infusion water or liquid in hot beverage machines. The typical solenoid valve of this type includes a valve body that defines a valve chamber, and an inlet and an outlet that communicate with the valve chamber. A valve seat is interposed between the inlet and the outlet, and a solenoid operated valve member is adapted to engage the valve seat to permit and prevent flow to the outlet. In the conventional valve, the valve member is biased to a closed position by a spring, and operation of a solenoid will move the valve to an open position.
In such valves, the solenoid is typically held in a fixed position within a C-shaped frame, a mounting bracket is interposed between the bottom of the frame and the top of the valve body and a set of threaded fasteners is employed to hold the assembly together. The assembled valve in its particular configuration is installed by inserting further fasteners through holes in the mounting bracket and threading them into a mounting surface such as on a hot beverage machine. The requisite electric energy is supplied to the solenoid via terminals projecting therefrom.
Although such valves operate generally satisfactorily for their intended purpose, their fixed configuration is not always adaptable to the varying structures upon which they are installed. This necessitates removing the fasteners holding the mounting bracket in place, unscrewing the fasteners which hold the valve assembly together and then replacing the mounting components as required to fit into the existing environment. Such modification requires the valve manufacturer or supplier to stock a large inventory of various components. Once the valve is installed, the solenoid remains fixed relative to its frame such that the position of the terminals cannot be adjusted. This limitation can further complicate the remounting of the valve.
It would be desirable to provide a solenoid valve having assembly and mounting features which avoid the drawbacks of the prior art. More specifically, it would be desirable to provide a modular valve constructed with standardized parts and dimensions to improve variety of use. It would also be desirable to provide a solenoid valve which does not require assembly via tools and threaded fasteners, but can be configured and serviced simply by twisting and untwisting valve components into and out of a snap fit. Likewise, it would be further desirable to provide a solenoid valve wherein the position of the solenoid may be altered once the valve is mounted in place.
It is a general object of the present invention to provide a solenoid valve having components which may be easily adjusted and assembled without the need for tools and threaded fasteners.
It is one object of the present invention to provide a solenoid valve having twist type mounting components.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a solenoid valve having rotatable adjustment of a mounting bracket relative to a valve body.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a solenoid valve having a snap fit subassembly of a frame, a solenoid and a snap plate.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a solenoid valve having the subassembled frame, solenoid and snap plate adjustably mounted relative to the mounting bracket and the valve body.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a solenoid valve having a solenoid which is adjustably mounted for rotation relative to a frame.
In one aspect of the invention, a solenoid valve has a valve body with an inlet and an outlet and a valve seat therebetween. A valve member is selectively engageable with the valve seat for controlling the flow of fluid from the inlet to the outlet. A biasing device is engageable with the valve member for holding the valve member against the valve seat. A solenoid assembly is mounted upon the valve member and the valve body for moving the valve member away from the valve seat. The invention is improved by means of a mounting arrangement interposed between and connecting the valve body and the solenoid assembly in a rotary, frictional engagement. The mounting arrangement includes a mounting bracket positioned upon the valve body, and a snap plate located between the solenoid assembly and a mounting bracket. The mounting arrangement is free of threaded fasteners. The solenoid assembly includes a solenoid and a frame for movably holding the solenoid, the frame being attached to the snap plate. The valve body includes attachment structure for permitting joinder of the mounting bracket, the snap plate and the solenoid assembly. The mounting bracket includes engagement structure cooperable with the attachment structure on the valve body. The snap plate includes leg and pin structure passable through the engagement structure on the mounting bracket and engageable with the attachment structure on the valve body. The frame includes notch structure for defining various rotational positions for the solenoid. The solenoid has detent structure selectively engageable with the notch structure on the frame.
In another aspect of the invention, a modular, solenoid operated, liquid dispensing valve includes a valve body having an inlet and an outlet for respectively introducing liquid into and delivering liquid out of the solenoid valve, and a valve seat between the inlet and the outlet. A valve member is selectively engageable with the valve seat for controlling the flow of fluid from the inlet to the outlet. A biasing device is engageable with the valve member for holding the valve member against the valve seat. A solenoid assembly is mounted upon the valve body for selectively moving the valve member in a direction away from the valve seat. A mounting bracket is positioned between the valve body and the solenoid assembly for supporting the solenoid assembly thereon whereby at least the mounting bracket is removably connected to the valve body by a twist, snap fit. The solenoid assembly is also removably connected to the valve body by a twist, snap fit. The solenoid assembly includes a solenoid, a frame for holding the solenoid and a snap plate attached to the frame. The valve body includes an open upper end terminating in a neck having a radially extending crown provided with a raised surface arrangement in the form of a series of lands located on an outer perimeter of the crown, each land having a ridge at one end running along the neck, and a narrow wall at another end extending from the neck to the outer perimeter. Each ridge on the valve body includes an L-shaped, mounting bracket receiver rising above the neck. The raised surface arrangement includes a series of spaced apart cavities, each cavity being formed by surrounding surfaces of each land, ridge and narrow wall, each cavity having an expanded end and a narrowed end. A nook is provided between each ridge and each narrow wall to facilitate securement of the mounting bracket to the valve body. A flat is provided between each adjacent pair of lands outwardly of each ridge. The mounting bracket has an attachment portion and a base integrally formed therewith, the base being formed with a central void in registration with the open upper end of the valve body. The base includes a set of curved guide slots and a group of pockets for enabling attachment of the solenoid assembly. The base further includes radially innermost, neck encircling surfaces between the slots and the central void, each of the innermost surfaces being formed with a dimple frictionally engageable in a respective nook upon rotation of the mounting bracket relative to the valve body. Each of the pockets has an enlarged end and an opposite niched end movable into engagement with a respective L-shaped mounting bracket receiver on the valve body. Each L-shaped mounting bracket receiver and each ridge form a slot for receiving the niched end of each pocket upon rotation of the mounting bracket relative to the valve body. The cavities of the valve body crown are aligned with the pockets in the mounting bracket. The flats on the valve body crown are in registration with the curved guide slots in the mounting bracket. The snap plate includes a set of locating pins depending therefrom, each locating pin having a top end provided with a tang having a ramping surface. The snap plate also includes a group of attachment legs depending therefrom, each leg having a length greater than a length of the locating pins, each leg having a barbed lower end engageable with the valve body. The attachment legs on the snap plate are inserted through the enlarged ends of the mounting bracket pockets and the expanded ends of the valve body cavities which are aligned with the pockets, and the locating pins are positioned in leading ends of the mounting bracket curved guide slots for movement over the aligned valve body flats. The attachment legs on the snap plate are movable into frictional engagement with walls on the narrowed ends of the cavities upon rotation of the snap plate relative to the mounting bracket. The snap plate has a central bore aligned with the mounting bracket central void and the open upper end of valve body. The frame has a bottom end plate, a top end plate and a connector plate joining the bottom end plate and the top end plate. The bottom end plate is formed with a plurality of recesses for receiving the tang ramping surfaces of the snap plate locating pins such that the tangs will be snap fit against the wall surfaces forming the recesses. The top end plate is formed with a plurality of notches, and the solenoid is provided with a nib which is received in one of the notches. The solenoid is rotatably mounted on the bottom end plate and the top end plate of the frame. A spring washer is interposed between a bottom of the solenoid and an upper surface of the bottom end plate, the spring washer providing a force tending to hold the nib in one of the notches, the force being overcome to enable the nib to be positioned in another of the notches so as to vary the rotational position of the solenoid relative to the frame.
The invention further contemplates a method of assembling a solenoid valve comprising the steps of a) providing a valve body having an inlet and an outlet for controlling fluid through the valve body, and a valve seat between the inlet and the outlet; b) providing a valve member selectively engageable with the valve seat for controlling flow of fluid from the inlet to the outlet; c) providing a biasing device engageable with the valve member for holding the valve member against the valve seat; d) providing a solenoid assembly mounted upon the valve body for selectively moving the valve member in a direction away from the valve seat, the solenoid assembly including a solenoid and a frame for holding the solenoid therein; e) providing a mounting bracket to be positioned between the valve body and the solenoid assembly; f) connecting the mounting bracket to the valve body by means of a first twisting, snap fit; and g) connecting the solenoid assembly to the mounting bracket and the valve body by means of a second twisting snap fit, whereby rotational position of the mounting bracket relative to the valve body and rotational position of the solenoid assembly relative to the valve body and the mounting bracket are variably adjustable. The method includes the step of rotatably mounting the solenoid relative to the frame, the mounting bracket and the valve body.
Various other features, objects and advantages of the invention will be made apparent from the following description taken together with the drawings.